We took a trip out to Howell's Pumpkin Patch last weekend with Aunt Jessie and Todd. It was in the low 80's and just beautiful. Mila really enjoyed the chickens, goats, and all the other kiddos on the farm.




















They had a lot of photo spots with wooden cut outs. Dad decided the hat would work for him since the scarecrow already had one!

She loved the straw, but she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She kept picking it up and even managed to get a few pieces in her mouth (imagine that!). There were piles to climb on, but she wasn't ready for those yet. Maybe next year.

 

The pretty mums really grabbed her attention. She thought the flowers were there for her to pet. And yes, she did think they were pretty enough to eat as well. She didn't pick any--but she did stick out her tongue and lower her head to the flower tor taste. This girl will eat anything!

 

There were signs that said not to sit on the pumpkins... but we didn't see anything about the gourds! Todd lifted her into the wagon full of the little beauties and let her pick a few out.

What a great photo op in our small wagon of pumpkins.



One last shot as we finished up the day. The guys went inside to pay and and we waited by the pretty display outside of the barn. All in all, it was a great day. I think next year will be even more fun. Now, let's just hope the weather is just as nice next year too!



Eleven Months Old

 

Our little girl is nearing the one year mark! Notice she's wearing the bracelet that Grandma Lori got for her. Surprisingly, she left it on for the photos. It did distract her for awhile, but I think she's beginning to  realize that she's into accessories.



She still loves to walk and dance. She was in love with this manhole in the sidewalk. I think she could have stood there and played with it for hours. She felt all of the squares and tried to brush out all of the grass clippings. Such entertainment. 

She came up, paused and smileed for the photo. I think we trained her well.

Her newest accessory is this little hat. She wore it around the mall, out to  lunch, in the car and around the house. It's her new wardrobe staple.



Happy birthday daddy!

Mila is a handyman in training. She may not be ready for a hammer yet, but she loved helping her dad put together our new stand. She beat her hands on it and while daddy hammered, so she really did help.

Daddy's little racer

For about a week now, Mila has been walking/running as her main mode of transportation. Crawling is a thing of the past! And, not only can Mila race round the house, but she can also fit into her racing suit pj's! I think it was a proud moment for Jens. We bought these about a year ago and it's been patiently waiting for her in the closet. (And yes, she still think shoes are toys!)

Apparently, she also thinks gates are toys! I like her perspective on things.

I was trying to get video of Mila, but she swiped the camera. She turned around and sat down to check it out. She's a techie, there's no denying that!

Ten Months Old

Mila has hit the double digits, she's 10 months old today! It amazes me how each month gets better than the last. This is such a fun stage. She's curious as ever, loves to giggle, jabber and dance. She gets more steady with each step and she walks a little further each day. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings!

Here are a few more pictures from today, enjoy.

Gimmie three steps, gimmie three steps Mila

We've got a walker!

Well, we've got a few unaided steps anyway. Over the weekend, Mila started taking a series of steps. She'll do about 4-6 steps before she either falls, or slowly goes back down to the ground to crawl. Unfortunately, we're struggling to get good footage! She's so aware of the camera that she hams it up and gets distracted whenever it is around (photo or video, she knows them both).

I realize this is just a silly little lion on wheels, but I think she looks like a shopper in training. That could easily be a cart! She just loves cruising around the livingroom with Mr. Lion, and she loves it even more when dad chases her.

And here's a little extra footage of her jabbering. She really gets going sometimes and it's hard not to laugh. She's really passionate about something!

A tooth, or two... and so much more.

Mila has been working on a few teeth on the bottom for weeks now. One popped through early last week and then the other followed days later. They've gone up and down a few times, but it looks like there's one that's decided to hang around. Here's a closer look:

Below are pictures of Mila playing with her books and toys. She loves taking everything out of her "toy box" and destroying the living room.

We bought a few cloth covered ottomans to store more toys. She discovered that she fits nicely.

And a little update on her mobility... she's going to be running before we know it! Between crawling, cruising against the furniture and pushing around her lion, she rules this place. Her latest trick is climbing stairs. She's a quick one too! We'll try and post some video of that later this week.

Nine Months Old!

Our little girl is nine months old! While she's growing little by little, her personality is growing rapidly. She's pretty vocal and is always jabbering, giggling... or squealing! The squeal usually comes out when she sees cats or dogs. (I think she is communicating on dog frequency sometimes.) Tweetie has fewer "safe" spots these days because she's always reaching for him. She definitely loves him more than he likes her, but they get along alright.

So, Mila is notoriously barefoot, but we've been trying out some shoes lately. This pair lasted about 2 minutes. It's pretty funny because she gets so distracted by them. I think she's under the impression that she's wearing toys or something.

She loves to stand and scoot along furniture, bodies, or anything that can keep her upright and mobile. Jens and Ally witnessed her stand on her own for about 30 seconds one day, but I have yet to see it. She'll do a few seconds here and there, but that's about it.

Mila had a pool play date with her friend Lea yesterday. Lea is about 3.5 months younger, and I'm not sure she was ready for Mila's passion for splashing!

Dad took her over to the splash park area and she loved the fountains. They would wait by the holes in the ground and she was get excited when the water would spout out. All in all, it was a great day at the pool.